Portsmouth to Caen ferry
Brittany Ferries’ busiest crossing to France: up to three sailings a day, by day or overnight
Ferries from Portsmouth to Caen
Portsmouth to Caen is the workhorse of Brittany Ferries’ network: the most sailings, the newest ship, and a landing at Ouistreham with the Normandy motorway minutes from the ramp. Six hours by day or a night in a cabin, then France.
Map: Portsmouth to Caen and the alternatives from Portsmouth
The map shows Portsmouth to Caen and the other sailings from Portsmouth: Cherbourg and Saint-Malo. Portsmouth to Le Havre closed in September 2026.
About the crossing to Caen
Day crossing or night ferry
Brittany Ferries sails up to three times a day (two on Fridays this winter): a morning and an afternoon day crossing of about six hours, and an overnight ferry that leaves late in the evening and lands you in Normandy before breakfast. The night boat is the one to take with children or a long drive ahead; the day boats are cheaper and give you a lazy afternoon at sea.
Looking for a discount on this crossing? Before you book, check the current Brittany Ferries offers and discount codes. We check every offer against the operator’s own website.
Caen among the Portsmouth routes
Portsmouth to Caen is one of the most used routes between the UK and France, and it is not the only one from this port. Cherbourg is shorter and better for the Cotentin and western Brittany; Saint-Malo is the overnight for Brittany and the Loire. All of them, compared, are on our Portsmouth to France page.
Portsmouth port, ships and route maps
-
- From Portsmouth, Brittany Ferries sails to Caen, Cherbourg and Saint-Malo.
-
- Portsmouth Cherbourg
-
- On this map you can see all the crossings from the UK / England to France – From Dover, Portsmouth, Newhaven, Poole & Plymouth to France.
-
- The Galicia ferry in the Port of Portsmouth
-
- Road to Portsmouth port
-
- Check-in and boarding area, Portsmouth port
-
- boarding to Portsmouth driving on the ferry
Brittany Ferries: what to book (cabins, tickets & upgrades)
Not sure what to book on Brittany Ferries? We’ve bundled the essentials into one simple guide: which cabin (or seat/lounger) fits your crossing, what the real difference is between Economy, Standard, and Flexi, and which upgrades (lounges, dining, food options) are actually worth it – and which you can skip. You’ll find the full cabins, tickets, and upgrades guide here.
Tip: on day sailings, it’s mainly about comfort; on overnight crossings, a cabin can make the whole trip.
The crossing in brief
- Route: Portsmouth (England) to Caen, Ouistreham (France)
- Duration: 6 hours by day, about 7 hours overnight
- Operator: Brittany Ferries; book direct
- Alternatives: Portsmouth to Cherbourg (up to twice a week in winter), Newhaven to Dieppe
What it is like
These are cruise ferries rather than Channel shuttles: restaurants, bars, cabins, a cinema and room to walk. Ouistreham is 15 km north of Caen with the A13 to Paris and the A84 towards Brittany close by, which is why the route is popular with families heading for the Normandy beaches, the Loire and the Dordogne alike.
Portsmouth is about two hours by car from London, traffic permitting, with motorway to the port gate and trains to Portsmouth Harbour, so it suits travellers from London, the Midlands and the whole of the south.
There are up to three sailings a day from Portsmouth to Caen: a morning and an afternoon day crossing of about 6 hours, and an overnight ferry. This is the winter 2026/27 pattern:
| Portsmouth to Caen | Days | Arrives |
|---|---|---|
| 07:45 | Monday, Tuesday | 14:45 |
| 08:00 | Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday (no morning sailing on Friday) | 15:00 |
| 15:00 | Daily | 22:00 |
| 23:00 (overnight) | Daily | 06:45 (07:30 after Thursday night) |
Coming back, Caen to Portsmouth sails at 08:30 (not on Fridays), 16:30 and 23:30. All times are local; France is one hour ahead of the UK. A few dates differ, mostly ship swaps in December and March, so always check your own date when booking.
For every departure day by day, see Caen crossing times and sailing days on our sister site Portsmouth Ferries.
Caen is the gateway to Normandy and an easy start for the rest of France: Paris is 139 miles from Caen, La Rochelle 260. Since April 2025 the route is sailed by the new hybrid cruise ferry Guillaume de Normandie, which replaced the Normandie.
Portsmouth port
Brittany Ferries terminal: Wharf Road, Portsmouth PO2 8RU, United Kingdom.
Caen ferry port
Avenue du Grand Large, 14150 Ouistreham, France. The port is in Ouistreham, 15 km north of Caen, with direct access to the autoroute. Check-in, parking and what the wait is actually like: our Portsmouth International Port guide.
Useful for travellers to France
We are thinking of going in July,probably on the overnight ferry,.This sounds ideal.
The Portsmouth-Caen overnight crossing now arrives at 0645 so is less than 7 hours. Brittany Ferries are minimising turnround times in port and you can’t occupy your cabins significantly before departure and have to vacate 30 minutes before arrival. That chops down sleep time significantly, but the cabin is still very useful. Caen port is actually Ouistreham, a small seaside town about 10 km away. Foot passengers need to take a local bus into Caen.